Mop, Mop Head and Method of Fitting

ABSTRACT

A Kentucky mop comprises a mop head ( 11 ) having an elongate tubular header ( 19 ) formed of fabric material from which a plurality of elongate co-extending members ( 18 ) of absorbent material extend. A handle assembly ( 10 ) of the mop comprises a mount ( 13 ) having a pivotable mounting bar  15  that can be inserted into the tubular header ( 19 ) and pivoted towards a body ( 14 ) of the mount. The header ( 19 ) is securely constrained by the bar ( 15 ) in a channel formed on the bottom wall of the mount body ( 14 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a mop head and to a mop incorporating the mop head.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Many kinds of mop are available. One mop that is widely used in commercial environments is a so-called Kentucky mop that is particularly suited for cleaning large areas of flooring or laying floor polish. Kentucky mops have a mop head which comprises a pair of generally flat wings formed of a plurality of elongate co-extending members of yarn or other absorbent material. The absorbent members of each wing are generally secured together intermediate their opposite ends by a transversely extending band which helps each wing to maintain its flat shape.

The wings extend from a header which is used to fasten the mop head to the mount of a handle assembly in a variety of different manners, such as by engaging a header of fabric material between the jaws of a clip provided on the mount. The clip allows the mop head to be readily attached and detached from the handle, for example when it needs to be cleaned or replaced.

One problem of Kentucky mops is that there are so many kinds of absorbent material suited to respective cleaning or polishing tasks, that users may fit the wrong kind of mop head to the handle assembly for the task in hand. Another problem of Kentucky mops is that it can be difficult to fit the mop head to the handle assembly or to remove it from the handle assembly.

With the above problems in mind, we have now devised an improved mop head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, as seen from a first aspect, there is provided a head for a mop, the head comprising a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material extending from a header, wherein the header defines an elongate passageway adapted to receive an elongate mounting bar of a mount of a handle assembly of the mop.

In use, a user simply inserts the mounting bar into the passage defined by the header. In this manner the mop head is easily fitted to or removed from the handle assembly. Also, the way in which the bar engages the header the means that it is not possible to fit the mop head to the handle assembly unless it has a header which defines a passageway. In this manner the risk of fitting the wrong kind of mop head for the task in hand is avoided.

The header may be tubular and may be formed of a flexible material such as a woven fabric.

The header may comprise an abrasive material. The header may be tubular. Preferably the header is formed of a flexible material. Preferably the header is formed of a woven fabric.

The elongate members of the mop head may extend outwardly from a sidewall of the tubular header.

Also in accordance with the present invention, as seen from a second aspect, there is provided a mop comprising a handle assembly and a head as hereinbefore defined, the handle assembly comprising a mount having an elongate mounting bar which extends through the passageway defined by the header of the mop.

The mounting bar may be displaceable towards the mount.

Preferably, the mounting bar comprises an elongate flat blade.

A first end of the mounting bar may be pivotally mounted to a body of the mount.

A second end of the mounting bar may be arranged to releasably engage the body of the mount, for example by means of a releasable catch. The catch may be provided with a lever or other actuator for releasing the engagement between the second end of the mounting bar and the body of the mount

The body of the mount may comprise an elongate channel into which a longitudinal side portion of the mounting bar extends when the second end of the mounting bar is engaged with the body of the mount.

The channel may be defined between a pair of rows of teeth which extend from the body of the mount.

Also in accordance with the present invention, as seen from a third aspect, there is provided a method of fitting a mop head to a handle assembly of a mop, the method comprising inserting an elongate mounting bar of a mount of the handle assembly into an elongate passageway defined by a header of the mop head. wherein the header adapted, the handle assembly comprising a mount having an elongate mounting bar which extends through the passageway defined by the header of the mop.

The method may comprise pivoting the mounting bar towards a body of the mount and locking the mounting bar thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of an example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a handle assembly of a mop in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective front view from one side and below of a mop head being fitted to the handle assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of an assembled the mop;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line iv-iv of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a three-quarter view of a mop head in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a so-called Kentucky mop comprising a handle assembly 10 and a detachable mop head 11. The handle assembly 10 comprises an elongate detachable handle 12, which extends upwardly from a mount 13. The bottom of the mount 13 comprises an elongate body 14 provided with two parallel longitudinally-extending rows of teeth 20.

One end of an elongate bar 15 is pivotally mounted to one end of the body 14. The opposite end of the bar 15 comprises a socket 17 which engages a catch 16 at the opposite end of the body 14, so as to retain the bar 15 in-situ when it is pivoted towards the body 14. A lever 21 extends from the catch 16 and can be actuated to release the catch 16 from the bar 15.

The mop head 11 comprises a plurality of elongate yarns 18 of cotton or other absorbent material, which radially co-extend from one side of an elongate tubular header 19 of woven fabric material. The mop head 11 is mounted to the handle assembly 10 by simply inserting the free end of the bar 15 into the tubular header or pocket 19 and sliding the bar 15 completely through the header 19 until its free end emerges on the other side. The bar 15 is then pivoted towards the body 14 of the mount 13 until it engages the catch 16.

The mop head 11 can be removed simply by reversing this operation. Advantageously the mop head 11 can be removed after use by releasing the catch 16 and allowing the mop head 11 to simply slide off the free end of the bar 15 without the need for a use to handle the mop head 11.

Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the bar 15 is generally triangular in section and one longitudinally-extending corner thereof projects into a channel defined between the two parallel longitudinally-extending rows of teeth 20 on the body 14 when the free end of bar 15 is engaged with the catch 16. The teeth 20 to engage the fabric header 19 and prevent the mop head 11 from moving relative to the mount 13. It will be appreciated that the gap between the teeth 20 and the bar 15 is relatively small and thus the bar 15 cannot be closed if an unsuitable mop head having a different type of header is inadvertently fitted. Alternatively, the bar 15 may comprise a blade, the blade itself comprising two generally planar, opposed surfaces.

A mop having a mop head in accordance with the present invention is inexpensive in construction yet is strong and simple to use.

Referring now to FIG. 5 of the drawings, there is depicted a mop head 11. Here, the mop head 11 comprises a plurality of elongate yarns 18 of cotton or other absorbent material, which extend from opposing sides of a central header 19. The central header 19 itself comprises an elongate tube or pocket 100 extending along the centre line of the mop head 11, perpendicular to the length of the elongate yarns 18. At either side of the elongate tube 100, the mop head 11 comprises a bridging portion 120, 130. Each of these bridging portions 120, 130 serves to connect the elongate tube 100 to a portion of the elongate yarns 18, such that the elongate yarns 18 are connected to the elongate tube 100. The central header 19 comprises both the elongate tube 100 and both bridging portions 120, 130. The elongate tube is sized to accommodate the bar of a mop as previously described.

The central header 19 comprises a mesh material, such that the surface of the central header 19 is rougher or coarser than that of the elongate yarns 18. As the central header 19 comes into contact with a surface to be cleaned during use of the mop head 11, this rough, abrasive or course central header 19 may be used to scour the surface. In this way, the removal of stains and or dirt from the surface to be cleaned is eased. 

1. A head for a mop, the head comprising a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material extending from a header, wherein the header defines an elongate passageway adapted to receive an elongate mounting bar of a mount of a handle assembly of the mop.
 2. The head for a mop of claim 1, in which the header is tubular.
 3. The head for a mop claim 2, in which the header comprises an abrasive material.
 4. The head for a mop of claim 3 in which the header is formed of a flexible material.
 5. The head for a mop of claim 4, in which the header is formed of a woven fabric.
 6. The head for a mop of claim 2, in which the elongate members of the mop head extend outwardly from a sidewall of the tubular header.
 7. A mop comprising a handle assembly and a head, the head comprising a plurality of elongate members of absorbent material extending from a header, wherein the header defines an elongate passageway adapted to receive an elongate mounting bar of a mount of a handle assembly of the mop, the handle assembly comprising a mount having an elongate mounting bar which extends through the passageway defined by the header of the mop.
 8. The mop of claim 7, in which the mounting bar is displaceable towards the mount.
 9. The mop of claim 7, wherein the mounting bar is an elongate flat blade.
 10. The mop of claim 8, in which a first end of the mounting bar is pivotally mounted to a body of the mount.
 11. The mop of claim 10, in which a second end of the mounting bar is arranged to releasably engage the body of the mount.
 12. The mop of claim 10, in which a second end of the mounting bar is arranged to releasably engage the body of the mount by means of a releasable catch.
 13. The mop of claim 12, in which the catch is provided with an actuator for releasing the engagement between the second end of the mounting bar and the body of the mount.
 14. The mop of claim 13, in which the body of the mount comprises an elongate channel into which a longitudinal side portion of the mounting bar extends when the second end of the mounting bar is engaged with the body of the mount.
 15. The mop of claim 12, in which the channel is defined between a pair of rows of teeth which extend from the body of the mount.
 16. A method of fitting a mop head to a handle assembly of a mop, the method comprising inserting an elongate mounting bar of a mount of the handle assembly into an elongate passageway defined by a header of the mop head.
 17. The method of claim 16 comprising pivoting the mounting bar towards a body of the mount and locking the mounting bar thereto. 